“No problem. Poppy gave me your message.”
“Everything alright?” he asked, watching me with concern.
“Of course. I dropped by because…” I looked at the jewelry box.
Michael followed my gaze, and his eyebrows shot up. “Is that…?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Whoa. Really?”
I inhaled deeply. “Really. I was feeling a little nervous. That’s why I found myself here before heading home. But Poppy and I discussed it, and I’m good now.”
Amusement danced across his face. “You talked about getting engaged with my seven-year-old, and you’regood?”
“Yeah. Poppy thinks I should marry Ava, and she said the ring is nice.”
Michael chuckled and shook his head. “Well, I agree. You should marry Ava. Things have been going great with you two.”
“Amazingly.”
“Then what are you nervous about?”
“Her first disastrous engagement… I’m not sure if she’s ready to jump back into another.”
“You’re not her crazy ex, Linc.”
“No, but what if she needs more time?”
Michael considered for a moment. “Only she can tell you that. What I can say is that she seems to be very much in love with you. So, go for it.”
Nodding, I put the ring box back into my breast pocket. “Yeah, I am. Tonight. I’m going to go home, set up a romantic dinner and… do it.”
Michael grinned and stood up with his hand outstretched. “Holy shit, another wedding. We’re falling one by one, huh?”
Slapping his palm, I chuckled. The five guys who agreed in college that there was no happily ever after for us. We were all eating our words one by one for sure. “Do you think Spencer will ever fall like the rest of us?”
Michael snorted. “He’s more of a rake than Alex was, and they were in stiff philandering competition. Maybe when pigs fly…”
I laughed. I never thought I’d get a second chance with the love of my life, and it happened. So, there was hope.
When I got home, the little nervousness that lingered had been replaced by excitement. During the drive home, I replayed the moments Ava and I had shared since she came back to LA. Those memories were all proof that she loved being with me. She’d say yes.
As soon as I got into the apartment, I scanned the room. No Ava in sight. She was usually curled up on the couch writing or reading.
“Ava?” I called out, already loosening my tie.
Her voice floated down the hallway. “I’m in my room!”
I paused mid-step, frowning. Her room?
The guest room had been abandoned months ago. She’d moved into my room.
When I entered the guestroom, I relaxed, understanding why she was in there. The bed was littered with documents. Some were even laid out on the floor. Ava was on her knees, with her laptop perched on the edge of the bed. She’d turned the guest room into her detective hub.
“Hey,” she greeted. Her smile was tight, and her eyes a little too bright.
My eyebrows puckered. “You okay?”
